"KILLING A MAN-EATER" 169 



miles in the stillness of the jungle, and all natives 

 hearing the booming sound know its meaning. I 

 advised Tungku to send five or six men back with 

 the messenger and for them to stay with him until 

 we came the next morning. The hunt was on, and 

 all preparations were made at once for our early 

 start, as the men began to flock in from the outlying 

 kampong. They were to stay at the Tungku's kam- 

 pong that night to be ready to start at daybreak 

 after eating their breakfast. There was intense 

 excitement throughout the whole night, very little 

 sleep for anyone, for, as I told the men, they would 

 not return until we had killed the tiger. A few of 

 the natives, especially the headmen, had flintlock, 

 muzzle-loading rifles. To these I handed out extra 

 powder and slugs ; they were really good marksmen 

 and men who could be depended on at the right 

 moment. 



We started at daybreak. The men having eaten, 

 everyone was anxious and eager to be off, now that 

 the hunt was to be conducted not alone by a white 

 man, but in numbers. There were fifty natives ; the 

 Tungku and two of his headmen with their flint- 

 lock rifles rode on the first elephant, while AH and 

 myself followed behind on the second, the third 

 with stores bringing up the rear, for I had no idea 

 when we would get back. Although the Tungku 

 assured me the elephants were well broken, I did 

 not place any reliance on them. Riding on an ele- 

 phant and jogging along peacefully is one thing, 



